Volume 3 Issue 2-4, 2008

Armenian Inst itute

NEWSARMENIANINSTITUTE

Looking AheadMaking Armenian culture and history a living experience remainsto be a central goal of our efforts, says director Dr. Susan Pattie

Dear Friends,s reflected in the pages of this newsletter, it is a pleasure to report that the Institutehad another exciting and successful year in 2007. Series of activities and eventswere held reflecting the core objectives of the Institute. Making Armenian culture

and history a living experience remains to be a central goal of our efforts. The newsletter itself has been evolving and has thus taken more time this year to

reach the press. We continue to report on AI events but are moving towards moreessays, reviews, interviews and stories. We hope this would make the newsletter amore vibrant form of communication and would bring more news about the British andinternational Armenian world.

This issue includes our first original piece of fiction, a charming children's fable writ-ten and illustrated by Nouneh Sarkissian. We welcome feedback from you about contentand direction and note that in future, the expanded newsletter will be sent free of chargeonly to our Friends, Patrons and Benefactors. A shorter letter will arrive more frequentlywith reports and announcements of recent and upcoming events. The quickest way toreceive such information though is by email and website so please let us know if we donot have your latest email address.

We look forward to hearing from you and to seeing you at upcoming events.

COMMUNITY NEWSMAKERS

The AzokhCaves ProjectDr. Tania King takesmulti-tasking to the lim-its. Some years aftercompleting a PhD inBiological Anthropologyfrom University CollegeLondon (UCL), shebegan to feel that herinterests were more withliving humans than theirfossil ancestors. So, inaddition to a raft of fas-cinating projects on evo-lution, she began thelong haul of becoming amedical doctor. Now ajunior doctor, Taniamaintains the projectwhich began with adream to spend time inArmenia. The AzokhCaves Project ofKarabakh has alreadyrun for six years anduncovered importantfinds as well as provid-ing training for studentscientists and work forlocal assistants.

Continued on page 2

Children and their families enjoyed an afternoon party with Nouneh Sarkissian (below right) as she introduced the charming heroine ofher new children’s fairytale book, which is being translated into English by Maral Ovanessoff (below left).Story on page 9.

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COMMUNITY NEWSMAKERS (continued from page 1)

In recognition of this and with gratitude for her team's ded-ication, Tania King was presented with a special com-memorative coin medallion by the Speaker of Parliamentof Karabakh, one of only five such coins awarded. Thisgesture of recognition was arranged by a well-known jour-nalist, Narine Aghabalyan, who had been impressed withthe team's work as she made documentaries about them.

Born in St Albans, daughter of Andrew andAnahid Hovsepian King, Tania became interested inarchaeology and human origins and decided take an "A"level in Archaeology, run by the local museum, where shewas the only student. Through this she made contact with

researchers at the Natural History Museum (NHM) andwas mentored by Professor Peter Andrews who latersupervised her PhD and now works on the Azokh Project.Tania says that Armenian culture was always part of herhome and extended family while growing up. "I wasalways aware of being of 'mixed ethnicity' and rather likedthis contrast - it makes life more interesting. I lovedArmenian music, dancing, food and going to Armenianchurch. As I did not live in London then, I was unable toparticipate in Armenian School and other groups/activitiesand I didn't have Armenian friends other than my family. Ithink this made me want to explore my Armenian rootseven more. Later I was the first member of my family tovisit Armenia - in 1989 as part of Land and CultureOrganisation. That trip allowed me to make some goodfriends and made me more determined to go back. I gotinvolved with the Armenian Rights Group (organised byMisak Ohanian, CAIA) in 1993 and one of the friendswithin that group played a key role in the start-up of theAzokh Caves project. Dr. Razmik Panossian made meaware that the site existed! I was also involved in a dis-cussion group for young Armenians, organised by AniKing-Underwood and Susan Pattie. However, I could notspeak Armenian very well and always felt this to be a biglack in my life. One member of my close family, who waslike a grandmother to me, could not speak English. Shewas born in Van and survived the genocide. It was always

frustrating to be so limited in our relationship and com-munication. Learning Armenian and spending six monthsin Armenia in 1998 achieved one of my biggest dreamsand has made me feel very fulfilled."

After obtaining her PhD, Tania was working at theNHM when, by chance, a colleague received a letter froman Armenian geologist. In 1998, with time off betweenprojects and a successful grant from the Wingate Trust,Tania spent six months looking for potential sites of earlyhuman remains. However, nothing emerged until theyvisited Azokh which Tania explored briefly with her hus-band, Adam. They arrived in a tiny car, in dreadful weath-er, found very difficult access -- but they could see thatthere were sediments and thus, potential. Back in the UK,

Tania spoke with Prof. Andrews and a colleague inSpain, Dr. Yolanda Fernandez Jalvo, co-director ofthe project. The three arranged to do a small sur-vey of Armenia and of Azokh, joined by Dr. LevonYepiskoposian of Yerevan. Azokh Cave site, firstdiscovered in the 1960s, was still promising.Russian and Azeri scientists worked on it until the1980s but stopped work after the war and all thematerial was taken to Baku, including a small frag-ment of a pre-Neanderthal jaw. The logistics andthe political situation made the situation difficult,however, so they carried on surveying in Armeniaagain in 2001, especially in the north, adjacent tothe border with Georgia, in the Javakheti Range.On the Georgian side several remains of hominidsdating about 1.8 million years ago have beenfound in Dmanisi, the earliest human ancestorsfound outside Africa. But again, no serious possi-bilities emerged and their focus returned to Azokh.Unfortunately, applications to major donors were

refused as Karabakh is not recognised as a state.The team decided to go ahead anyway with smallamounts of funding, including Armenian charities such asthe AGBU and individual donors. In 2002 colleagues fromSpain, Armenia, the UK, and Karabakh installed the infra-structure for the excavation with a grid for a permanentreference system, working in metre squares. An aerialgrid, created by drilling holes into the cave walls (ratherthan a ground grid) proved to be excellent for recordingfinds, allowing three dimensions, using laser projectionsas surveyors do. First a huge backfill deposited by theprevious teams had to be sifted through by local assis-tants, using their home wheat sieves to do the job. Indoing so, they found some exciting fossils in the backfillincluding cave bear and some large mammal remains.The team returned in 2003, joined by a geologist col-league from Ireland. In spite of funding problems, politi-cal and local economic pressures, Tania and the teamcontinue the work. She notes that "the cave is importantin terms of learning about the migration of early humanancestors. Humans might be following the migration ofanimals as they went out of Africa. Azokh is probably ona corridor from Africa into Asia on the one hand andEurope on the other. The southern Caucasus is one ofthe possible routes out of Africa…"

Azokh is also important because of Dmanisi(above) and Mezmaiskaya, another cave site in the north-ern Caucasus which is one of the latest sites for

Armenian Institute NEWS2

Neanderthals, with remains dated to about 28 thousandyears ago. Chronologically, Azokh sits in the middle,probably a transition period, a minimum of 700,000 yearsof the story of humanity. In addition, there is also evidenceof recent history. In upper areas, the team found com-pressed and burned animal faeces left within the last 100years, typical of areas where humans and domesticatedanimals are living together. When the team asked, theywere told stories of the village under siege and earliergenerations escaping to the caves with their animals,staying there for several weeks until it was safe. Finally,the cave is also of ecological interest with an opportunityto observe about 20 species of bats.

In addition to its scientific importance, the projectprovides training and work for local people. From the out-set, Tania explained, the idea was that this training inmodern techniques of archaeology and paleoanthropolo-gy would lead to local scientists taking over the running ofthe site. The team also helps with training local students,involving them in the project at various levels, with keenteachers, such as Dr. Norah Moloney, UCL Institute ofArchaeology. One full-time employee helps with everythingfrom watching the site during the year to driving and gen-eral administration. Local field staff provide services in thevillage, cooking, driving, finding firewood and housing. Themoney spent on these services then gets fed back into thelocal economy. One lady, for example, used her money tobuy a goat one year to provide cheese for her children andthen the next year she bought a cow. "This part of the proj-ect is for me the most satisfying. I am looking forward tolocal people taking over the site. The science is great - butmy main interest is the local people. I feel very comfortablein Armenia and have very close friends there now. I oftenfeel as if I have two lives - one that is lived here in the UKand the other that is in Armenia."

The Azokh Caves Project is grateful for the sup-port of the AGBU and individual donors in the past and isnow entirely dependent on the continuation of such con-tributions. Donations can be made through the ArmenianInstitute and will be passed on immediately to the project(cheques made out to the "Armenian Institute" with anaccompanying letter indicating that the funding go to theAzokh Caves Project). The project is also looking for vol-unteers to participate in the excavations and enquiriescan be made via Azokh.Caves@gmail.com. Susan Pattie

Akhtamar: the RenovationA talk by Dr. Mark Grigoryan, 5 July, Armenian HouseBBC producer Mark Grigoryan was assigned to cover theopening of Surp Khach (Holy Cross) Church on the islandof Akhtamar, after extensive renovations. Visa problemsprevented his attending the big event but on reflection,Grigoryan noted that a later quieter visit had provided himwith an opportunity for a much more profound experience,going beyond the original journalistic aims. During his talkon 5 July 2007, Grigoryan showed stunning photographsof the island and church and described the results of thesuccessful renovation, touching on some of the accompa-nying controversies. Copies of his photographs are avail-able for sale through the Armenian Institute or Mark.

Sayat Nova EnsembleConcernt on February 11 at the Conway HallSarkis Zakarian (piano), Anais Heghoyan (soprano)

After the success of their first concert in 2006, the SayatNova Ensemble was invited back to be part of the LondonChamber Society cycle of concerts. Co-sponsored by theArmenian Institute, the concert was supported by a gen-erous grant from the Benlian Trust as part of the ongoingYoung Artists Series. The ensemble, as always, includedyoung professionals as mentors leading the sectionsalongside highly talented students. This year many stu-dents were from Armenia but included others fromEstonia, Scotland and Holland as well as England.Leading from the first violin, Levon Chilingirian directedthe ensemble joined by soloists Sarkis Zakarian (piano)and Anais Heghoyan (soprano). The programme includ-ed a variety of pieces beginning with the lively and popu-lar Aslamazian-Komitas Armenian Songs and Dances,continuing with the haunting "Coventry" by Vilem Tausky,written after the shock of seeing the devastation of thecity. Zakarian played brilliantly in the piano concerto in AK414 by Mozart, in lively conversation with the Ensemble.The poignant strains of Dido's Lament by Purcell beganthe second half of the concert as the extraordinarily richtone of soprano Anais Heghoyan (London) transfixed theaudience. This quiet but moving atmosphere continued inthe Ensemble's rendition of Vibration Painting by AlanHovhaness. In the final piece, a very different emotionalrange followed as the Ensemble clearly enjoyed thewhimsical and showy extracts from Tigran Mansourian'sballet "Snow Queen". We look forward to future concertswith the Sayat Nova Ensemble.

Armenians in Unusual Places or Little-known References to Armenia andArmenians around the UKThe Sayat Nova Ensemble gave another exciting per-formance at the Boxgrove Festival on June 9. Theirreturn engagement was enthusiastically received andincluded most of the pieces performed earlier at theConway Hall including soloists Zakarian and Heghoyan.Levon Chilingirian is artistic director of the Festival as well

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as leader of the Ensemble. During the interval the fewArmenian members of the audience looked around thebeautiful church and were amazed to discover a statue inthe niche of a small side chapel accompanied by the fol-lowing notice: The Chapel of St. Blaise within St Mary'sChurch at Boxgrove Priory"The statue of our 'secondary patron', modern but stand-ing in the original niche, anachronistically represents himin the vestments of a medieval bishop but he was Bishopof Sebaste in Armenia in the 3rd Century. Before deathhe was tortured by having his flesh torn with wool cardingcombs. On his way to the scaffold his prayers saved thelife of a child choking to death. The monks of Boxgrove,like all Benedictines, were active agriculturalists and keptmany sheep on their Downland properties. So they choseBlaise, patron of wool-workers, for their patron. OnFebruary 3, his feast day, his prayers are invoked andGod's blessing asked against all diseases and ailments ofthe throat."

This year is the 900th anniversary of the arrival ofthe Benedictine monks who founded Boxgrove Priory,now in ruins beside the church. The Boxgrove Festivalplans to include Armenian sacred music in one of the con-certs, to honour St Blaise, and has invited the AknEnsemble of Paris.

Manti ManiaCookery Demonstration and Dinner, 20 OctoberMaster chefs Sirarpie Manoukian and Rita Koundarjianled an enthusiastic group through the steps of creatingManti, a favourite from the Armenian culinary repertoire.The hands-on demonstration and clear and persuasiveinstructions enabled everyone to participate and learnhow to do it themselves. Everyone got their hands full of

flour, rolling out and pinching the manti into shape. Thelarge kitchen at St Stephen's was filled with trays of mantias well as preparations for the salads and desserts thataccompanied the later meal. Rita and Sirarpie had alreadymade many trays of manti for the evening and the stu-dents' work was added to this. All were required as a largecrowd joined them at dinner time and people eagerly con-

sumed the food. There were many compliments for thecooks and requests for repeat performances. We are verygrateful to Rita and Sirarpie for their patient instruction andfor the wonderful food they prepared and contributed.

ARMENIAN STUDIES GROUP

A Memorial Tribute for Hrant Dink12 February 2007, Brunei Gallery (SOAS)Nearly 100 people crowded into a lecture room at SOASto pay their respects to Hrant Dink and to hear four pan-ellists speak about him as a person, as an innovator andoutspoken critic and builder of bridges. People sat on win-dow-sills, stood in the doorway, and filled in cracks wherethey could find them. The mood was sombre and respect-ful and there was a sense that this would be the first ofmany and ongoing events to remember the legacy ofHrant Dink. In fact this legacy became immediately appar-ent in the many new friendships and meetings betweenArmenian, Turks, Kurds, and others which have devel-oped through this collaboration.

Using the text of Rakel Dink's eulogy to discussthe courageous contributions of Hrant Dink, Dr. SossieKasbarian, moderator of the AI's Armenian StudiesGroup, introduced the session and the speakers.Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian spoke about Hrant Dink and theArmenians of Turkey, his "voice of dignity", speaking upfor the Armenians as a minority group, as equal citizens,as people who loved their country and wanted to see itimprove for all its people. He ended by noting that Dinkopened the door to a future that Armenians and Turksmust find together. Dr. Kerem Öktem also sought to find alight in the darkness of the moment, observing that "HrantDink's expressed wish to 'Turn the hell in which we liveinto Paradise' may become his true legacy, guiding theway for those who share his belief in a more humaneworld and a Turkey more hospitable to its own people andits many Diasporas." Author and translator MaureenFreely talked about about Hrant Dink and Article 301 froma journalist's perspective and spoke of witnessing hisgreat courage. The closing remarks were made by Dr.George Dedes, Lecturer in Turkish at SOAS. The pro-gramme concluded with the showing of a video created byHelin Anahit, showing moving footage of the funeral pro-cession and tributes in Istanbul.

“Sincerity, my only weapon”A Tribute to Hrant Dink, 28 February 2008, NewAuditorium, The Human Rights Action Centre,Amnesty InternationalA moving commemoration of the life of Hrant Dink wasorganised by Amnesty International, the ArmenianInstitute, Article 19, Index on Censorship, OpenDemocracy and English Pen on his 40 days memorial(karasounk). Music, poetry, readings and personal trib-utes contributed to the emotionally charged evening.Beginning and ending with Armenian folk music played onthe duduk by Tigran Alexanian, the evening included ren-

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ditions of Dink's last column and Rakel Dink's eulogy byactors Jack Klaff and Elizabeth Counsell respectively.Prof. Ronald Suny, Maureen Freely and NouritzaMatossian also spoke about their personal impressions ofthe man, highlighting his bravery, insightfulness, andsense of humour. Poetry was recited by Hagop Varoujianand Sonya Varoujian in Armenian and in English. LevonChilingirian played three pieces including Bach andKomitas, and Sonia Vartoukian sang Groong (Crane) andOror (Lullaby). The evening concluded with a video madeby Nouritza Matossian of conversations she had filmedwith Hrant Dink (see separate article for excerpts) andthen striking images from his funeral. A reception fol-lowed for the overflow crowd, hosted by AmnestyInternational, with food generously supplied by Jakobs.

Remembered for his focus on friendship, recon-ciliation, love for his homeland of Turkey, persistence andcourage in his work and dedication to human rights andfreedom of the press and democracy, the message of theevening was to continue Hrant Dink's work in the samespirit of peace and reconciliation in order to truly honourhis memory. Louisa Culleton

Truth in TellingArmenian and Turkish Historians Confront theGenocide Ronald Suny lecture, 25 February 2007Prof. Ronald Suny was welcomed by a large crowd and,as always, stimulated a lively discussion following his talk.In the aftermath of the assassination of Hrant Dink, hechanged his topic and instead spoke about the Workshopon Armenian and Turkish Studies (WATS) that he, Prof.Muge Goçek and others at the University of Michigan hadinitiated, now ten years ago. He included his own experi-ence of meeting with Hrant Dink as Dink had attendedWATS and had visited the University of Michigan. WATSis premised on the understanding that there was a geno-cide of the Armenians and that there is a need forArmenian and Turkish scholars to communicate with eachother regarding the immense amount of work left to bedone surrounding relations over the centuries. Dr. Sunydiscussed the genesis of WATS and how it has developedthrough its meetings held in different cities around theworld. The method of combining a quiet semi-closedmeeting for scholars with a more public meeting for pre-sentations is one that has proved very successful but alsohas provoked criticism. Suny pointed out that both areessential in order to provide the necessary environmentfor speaking frankly and building trust. Ronald Suny isProfessor Emeritus of Political Science and History, theUniversity of Chicago and Charles Tilley Professor ofSocial and Political History at the University of Michigan.

"An Armenian Future?"Youth Conference in Manchester Director Dr. Susan Pattie was invited as guest speaker atthe first Pan-UK Armenian Youth Conference, "AnArmenian Future?", hosted by the Manchester ArmenianYouth Organisation (MAYO). Held on 28 April 2007, six

different organisations made presentations about theirwork in an outstanding example of cooperation and mutu-al help. Land and Culture Organisation (LCO),Homenetmen, Armenian Students Associations,Diaspora-Armenia Connection (DAC), AGBU, and MAYOoutlined variations on shared themes of dedicated volun-teer work and equally dedicated socialising (sometimescalled "networking"). Three further presentations coveredmore general subjects. Harmick Azarian gave a veryinformative and thoughtful talk on the possibilities ofmigrating to Armenia. When asked, fully one third ofthose present said they would consider such a move.Speaking in Armenian, Sevan Artin of Hay Tad Committeeasked challenging questions about changes young peo-ple would like to see. Concerning Diaspora-Armenia rela-tions, Dr. Audrey Selian stressed the importance ofspeaking out on contentious issues and raised the prob-lem of Western Armenian disappearing, linking this tocontroversial closures of Armenian schools. Dr. Pattieextended these thoughts with her concluding talk, "Prideand Prejudice in a Multi-cultural World", speaking aboutthe challenges of being fully integrated into society with-out losing a connection with one's heritage and identity.Billed as a conference for the next generation of leadersof the Armenian community, it indeed inspired great opti-mism for the future of the U.K. community. MAYO withTalar Ozkaya in London were the driving forces behindthe meeting with the added incentive of puttingManchester back on the British community's map.

The Changing Landscape ofHistoric Western Armenia Reflections on a journey into the past by Prof.Richard G. Hovannisian lecture, 3 March atKensington Central LibraryProf. Richard Hovannisian was welcomed back to theLondon as he gave a moving talk about his recent journeyto the old homelands of eastern Anatolia. Prof.Hovannisian showed photos of the countryside, old townsand villages, as he reflected on the personal impact thetrip had had as well as the historical connections he hadwitnessed. After a lifetime of professional research intothis area, this was his first visit, opening up new questionsand perspectives on old problems and ideas. Projectedphotographs of the area beautifully illustrated the talk,highlighting visits to Van, Agn, Erzurum and other places.He had joined the annual trip made by Prof. Muge Goçekof the University of Michigan who each year invites asmall number of people to explore the region with her.Helin Anahit of the Armenian Institute also joined thegroup that year, along with Prof. Hovannisian's wife,Vartiter, and several others. Dr. Hovannisian is AEFProfessor of Modern Armenian History, University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles and the author and editor ofnumerous volumes on Armenian history including thefour-volume history The Republic of Armenia, Armenia onthe Road to Independence, and an ongoing series of vol-umes on historic Armenian cities and provinces.

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AI-SSOAS ARMENIANSTUDIES GROUP (ASG)The year 2007 started off on a sombre note, with ASG co-hosting the Tribute to Hrant Dink at SOAS in February(see separate article). After running for more than fouryears, the ASG initiators are rethinking ASG's purposeand mission. There is a need to return to some of thefounding ideas of ASG - providing a friendly and support-ive forum for scholars, young and experienced, to preparework for submission or publication. Thus the priority willbe threefold: the work of students preparing long essaysor undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations;researchers preparing papers for conferences and publi-cation and others wanting to present their work for dedi-cated feedback and suggestions for improvement. In thisway, we hope to solidify ASG's original vision of a com-munity of scholars and researchers, committed to learn-ing from each other and preparing their work to the high-est possible standard. The following sessions took placeduring 2007, all at the School of Oriental and AfricanStudies (SOAS). Dr. Sossie Kasbarian (ASG Moderator)

March 7: Audrey Selian. Democracies: PoliticalDevelopment & ICTs in Post- Communist ArmeniaThis presentation focused on aspects of a fundamentalquestion based on underlying assumptions about the roleof technology in the political development of a transition-ing, post-communist society (case study: Armenia). Therelationship between information and communicationtechnologies (ICTs) and the polity, particularly in develop-ing countries, is a highly dynamic one upon which deter-ministic thought is often projected without empirical justi-fication. This leads at times to uninformed policy formu-lation trying to match conventional wisdoms to more idio-syncratic factors. Examples of a select number of nation-al institutions in Armenia were presented as a piece ofwider qualitative case work undertaken at the end of 2004.Audrey Selian, PhD, Tufts University, is currently workingon framing a roll-out strategy for the SustainableDevelopment Initiative of a private equity investment grouphere in London. She was a Doctoral Fellow at the KennedySchool of Government at Harvard University and a VisitingFellow at the American University of Armenia.

May 2: Bert Vaux (Cambridge). Armenian LinguisticsProf. Bert Vaux gave a fascinating tour of the history andstructure of the Armenian language, providing insightsinto the methods of phonology and dialectology.Addressing the most popular questions asked by non-lin-guists - where did Armenian come from, how do we knowhow it was pronounced in earlier times, how many vari-eties are there?, Prof. Vaux demonstrated the ways inwhich linguists piece together scraps of information tobuild a picture of early language usage. Small, apparent-ly trivial bits of information, each interesting in them-selves, include the fact that only Armenian and Amharicdo not use a variant of the word "coffee" for the well-known drink. Prof. Vaux noted that as a living language,Armenian has evolved over centuries into many dialects,becoming standardised only relatively recently. Now he

and many others are concerned that the varieties ofArmenian dialects must be documented before they dieout. Dr. Bert Vaux is University Lecturer in Phonology andMorphology at the University of Cambridge. Vaux spe-cialises in phonological theory, dialectology, field method-ology, and languages of the Caucasus but also works onthe Harvard Survey of North American Dialects and,among numerous publications, is editor of the book seriesOxford Surveys in Generative Phonology.

May 30: Armine Ishkanian (LSE). Culture andDemocracy-Building in Armenia In analysing why the transitions to democracy have notyielded the expected results, some scholars and policymakers have argued that a society's propensity or 'fitness'for democracy is predicated on its cultural and geograph-ic proximity to the West. Such sweeping claims whichblame culture for the lack of democracy are hardly new;they are examples of the interpretations that have beenused to explain the failure of development and moderni-sation programmes since the 1950s. The paper criticallyexamined these essentialist arguments and asked: doesculture affect democracy building in Armenia? Dr ArmineIshkanian, is a Lecturer at the Centre for Civil Society anda Research Associate at the Centre for the Study ofGlobal Governance, London School of Economics. Herregional expertise is on the countries of the former SovietUnion with a particular focus on Armenia. She has pub-lished widely with a book forthcoming with Routledge.

June 21: Arman Sarvarian (SOAS). Towards AnObjective Legal Analysis of the Artsakh QuestionArman Savarian presented his LL.B. dissertation, a criti-cism of the legal positions of the respective conflict partiesin Artsakh, in which the prevalent 'secession' paradigm is,rejected and one of an interstate territorial title dispute isinstead advanced. He also explored the relevant legal his-tory of the conflict, presenting the interstate dispute para-digm, and submitting alternative legal bases that a putativeadjudicator could rely upon for a legal solution to the con-flict and for the development of principles of public inter-national law. Arman Sarvarian recently completed hisLL.B. Law from SOAS. He plans to complete an LL.M. inPublic International Law at the University of Cambridgenext year and then qualify as a Barrister.

October 8: Saro Derian (SOAS). The Diaspora: Well-Organised for Armenia's Development?Looking at the use of the term "diaspora" in a developmentcontext, Saro Derian examined the evident problems usingcomparative analysis. He discussed the issue of stretch-ing the concept of diaspora, potentially weakening its use-fulness and extended this to a concern about how the con-cept is applied for identifying specific behaviours for devel-opment. International organisations claim that 'diaspora'represents a valuable resource pool for the processes ofnational development and Derian has researched earlierinitiatives of the World Bank and the United NationsDevelopment Programme which targeted the ArmenianDiaspora for involvement in development initiatives.Analysing the conceptual challenges to the Diaspora-Development Paradigm through the trajectory of the

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Armenian diaspora's involvement in Armenia, Derian high-lighted various roles and outcomes. Saro Derian recentlycompleted an MSc in Development Studies at SOAS.

November 28: Paresh Kathrani LL.B. (Hons) LL.M.Genocide: A Fracture in International JusticeThe Genocide Convention was part of a framework ofinternational instruments that were concluded after theSecond World War in order to reaffirm faith in fundamentalhuman rights and in the dignity and worth of the humanperson. Human rights lawyer Paresh Kathrani explored thedifferences between the system of command and sanctionof international law and that of domestic law. He noted thatit is the responsibility of the international community toenforce a system of international justice but this has con-tributed to disasters in places like Bosnia, Rwanda andSudan. At the same time, Kathrani made the point thatunless the international community musters the requisitewill to ensure that those who have been responsible forgenocides in the past face their crimes, the ethos of inter-national justice that was envisaged after the Second WorldWar will also be undermined. Now a barrister, PareshKathrani undertook his Bachelor of Laws and Masters ofLaw in London. He then spent time studying the sociolog-ical consequences of the war in the Balkans and visitingSoweto in South Africa. His main research areas are inter-national law, international justice and philosophy.

Language Classes The Armenian Institute continues to offer evening classesfor adults in eastern and western variants of Armenian.We have a wonderful team of teachers and students whokeep each other entertained weekly. Rita Koundarjianteaches the intermediate section of Western Armenianwhile Sossie Yeretsian teaches beginners. Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian instructs Eastern Armenian. The students'enthusiasm is contagious and teachers have beenimpressed with their dedication. We hope to add anadvanced section as there has been a demand by thosewho are already fluent in Armenian but who wish toimprove. A minimum of 4 students is needed to run a class.

We also instigated a new kind of teaching with theIntensive Armenian Conversation afternoons. DianneAslanyan approached AI with the wish to provide oppor-tunities for adults to learn some very basic greetings andphrases in order to get along in their social circles. Sheand Susan Pattie developed a self-contained afternoon oflessons which focus on the basics and on getting peopletalking. Using a variety of methods, including, of course,serving and eating food, the students were surprised athow much they had learned at the end of 3 hours. AI willcontinue to offer intensive courses periodically in additionto the normal term-time classes.

The Gulbenkian Foundation has generouslygranted funds to purchase teaching tools and resources,enabling the library to add extra copies of textbooks forstudents as well as books, DVDs and CDs that will givethe teachers themselves ideas about the latest methodsof language acquisition. We are very grateful for this.

ORAL HISTORY WORKSHOP

Pre-1915 Family Photographs29 April 2007, Armenian HouseFollowing the moving exhibition of old photographs at theMenier Chocolate Factory, organised by Land and CultureOrganisation, our ongoing Oral History series invited peo-ple to uncover their own family photographs of the latenineteenth and early twentieth century. A lively sessionbegan with Dr Susan Pattie using projected pictures fromAdana and Kessab to demonstrate how the details of thephotos themselves can reveal information about the peo-ple and their times. Others present then showed the pho-tos they had brought and spoke about the stories they hadheard from those portrayed. Early photos from the 1880swere shown by Rita and Hovaness Koundarjian, includingpictures from Gessaria and Robert College. Photos of rel-atives in Tokat, Van, Iran, India were passed around thetable as others spoke of their family histories and the vari-ety of trades and experiences they had pre-genocide.

Minority Rights ReportAn unlikely bestseller: Minority Rights Report on theArmenians, 1 February 2007, Armenian HouseCo-author of the Report, historian Christopher Walkerspoke on the 30th anniversary of its publication. The firstedition was published in September 1976 and was devel-oped from a general need to present the Armenian case.Walker paid tribute to his co-author, the late ProfessorDavid Marshall Lang. Lang's contribution was mostly onSoviet Armenia with figures and statistics of perhaps dubi-ous accuracy. The first Report skirted around certainissues, perhaps to spare the sensitivities of Turkey. Therewas good coverage of the Diaspora albeit with someweak points, e.g. only five lines were devoted to the com-munity in France. These shortcomings were amended inlater editions.

The Report was so successfully received thatseveral revised editions followed quickly, the first a fewmonths later, in Jan-uary 1977 and subsequent editions in1978, 1981 and 1987. The last edition was reprinted inMarch 1991 and contained a four page update by Walkeron the changing political situation in and around SovietArmenia. Editions in French and Armenian also appeared.

Armenian Institute NEWS 7

There was no officialreaction from theTurkish government,but a Turkish scholar,Dr Salahi R. Sonyalpublished a pamphletagainst the Report.Walker said that moredocuments have beendeclassified since the1970s and there isnow further materialavailable on theArmenians in Britishand other archives.However, the pros-pects of re-launching

the Report are remote, now that with the emergence of theRepublic of Armenia, Armenians are no longer consideredto be a 'minority group'. The British press in general did nottake much notice of the Report until 1981 when thefamous journalist Bernard Levin wrote what Walkerdescribed as 'a splendid article' in the Times. This not onlyprovided good publicity for the Report, but also resulted inTurks demonstrating against the Levin article. Speaking ofhis involvement in the Report, Walker said that during hisresearch he always felt that he was facing a taboo on theArmenian issue with a community of historians who want-ed to have nothing to do with the Armenians.

Open House London16 September at St Sarkis Armenian ChurchEach year on a weekend in September, Open HouseLondon arranges for buildings all over the city to beopened up to the general public. Their booklet is packedwith information about alluring architecture, usually off-limits to the average Londoner and indeed many of thosevisiting St Sarkis each year mention that they pass thechurch many times and always wanted to be able to comeinside. This year again, the Armenian Institute hosted thebeautiful St Sarkis Armenian Church and several hundredvisitors learned not only about the architecture of thatbuilding but the history of the Armenian community in the

UK and of Armenians generally. In Gulbenkian Hall, theInstitute created a display of the architecture of otherArmenian churches and striking photographs taken byMark Grigoryan and Margarita Grigoryan. Diana Kurkjiankindly provided coffee, tea and biscuits for the visitors.

St. Sarkis Armenian Church Inspired by the interest of the visitors each year on LondonOpen House day, the Armenian Institute has published itsthird title, a booklet that describes the architecture and his-tory of the church, along with short sections on theArmenian Christian tradition, Armenian history, and StSarkis himself. Produced with the generous support of theTrustees of St Sarkis Church, the booklet was written bySusan Pattie, Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian and HratchTchilingirian. Richly illustrated with photographs and archi-tectural plans, the booklet was designed by HratchTchilingirian. Copies are available through the Institute.

Rally Round London29 September in and around Bloomsbury For the second year, participants enjoyed a race aroundLondon, vying to find answers to a quiz about secret cor-ners and monuments of the city. Maral Ovanessoff andRebecca Kouyoumdjian designed the challenging andvery enjoyable day, providing maps and questionnairesfor the teams of families. The tour covered some 5 milesfrom a start in the magnificent Great Court of the BritishMuseum down to Covent Garden and across towardsRegent Street and circling back eastwards. "Finds"included a statue of Anahita in the museum, uncoveringlayers of history through architecture, and discovering ahidden corner of the Arctic Circle before meeting Maralas the "contestants entered the finish line at a café inRussell Square. All money raised by the sponsored walkgoes to the Children's Corner.

BRITISH LIBRARY

Sacred: Discover What We ShareGallery talk by Rev. Dr. Nerses V. Nersessian, 28 JulyFrom April to September 2007, the British Library set upan exhibition focusing on Christianity, Islam and Judaism.In a unique and compelling modern context the exhibitionpresented rare sacred texts from the Library's collectionas well as loan items from other institutions. By bringingtogether exhibits from these religions, the commonalitiesand differences between the three 'Abrahamic faiths'were thus explored. A large and enthusiastic group ofpeople followed the Rev. Dr. Nerses V. Nersessian,Curator of the Christian Middle East Section at the BritishLibrary who gave a gallery talk about the exhibition in gen-eral and highlighted the unique Armenian liturgical itemsexhibited. One was the British Library's most importantArmenian manuscript, acquired through the efforts of Dr.Nersessian himself. The celebrated Awag Vank' Gospelswere written in the eponymous monastery in GreaterArmenia at the turn of the thirteenth century. Among

Armenian Institute NEWS8

Helen Culleton and Gregory King-Underwood at the entrance of St.Sarkis Church getting ready to welcome visitors

Armenian exhibits was the personal Book of Hours(Breviary) of King Levon (reigned 1269-1289), the work ofthe scribe and artist Stepanos of Vahka.

Objects of InstructionTreasures of the School of Oriental and AfricanStudies, 17 November at the Brunei Gallery (SOAS)The Rev. Dr. Nerses V. Nersessian, Curator of theChristian Middle East Section at the British Library, gavea gallery talk at this fascinating exhibition, focusing on twoilluminated Armenian manuscripts and liturgical booksfrom other Oriental Christian traditions. Items on displaywere all taken from the permanent collection of SOAS.The first Armenian manuscript that described was a largelectionary - ?ašoc' - a compendium of readings duringliturgy. In addition to Biblical texts, the Armenian lec-tionary contains Armenian patristic writings that dealexclusively with Armenian 'events', such as theVardanank' and the translation of the Scriptures byMesrop Mashtots' and his disciples. The manuscript waswritten in 1475 in Crimea where Armenians had settledafter the famous battle of Manzikert in 1071. When theOttoman Turks overran the region in the same year thatthe lectionary was written, there were nearly 300,000Armenians living there. The Armenians took with them toCrimea the traditions developed in Cilicia and created in

their new home a unique culture in art, literature and man-uscripts. On view was a title page of the lectionary with a'carpet design' headpiece and a text representing almostall types of Armenian lettering, from uncials (erkat'agir) tobird letters (t'??nagir). In the Armenian tradition lectionar-ies follow the Jerusalem rite specifying the 'stage-man-agement' of liturgical services. As such, they are impor-tant primary sources for scholars interested in the 'recon-struction' of the liturgy at the dawn of Christianity. Thesecond manuscript was a small Gospel book of 16th-17thcenturies. The book had been the property of WilliamMarsden (1754-1836), a linguist-cum-historian of EastIndia Company. Dr. Nersessian noted that the paintingsconsistently followed earlier patterns of manuscript illumi-nation demonstrating elements of identity and theologicalorthodoxy.

Finally Dr. Nersessian spoke about more than 350Armenian manuscripts he has catalogued in Britain. TheBritish interest in Armenian liturgical texts goes back tothe beginning of the Protestant tradition in Britain. Havingrejected the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint,there was a desire to obtain a 'purer' text of theScriptures. Competent people were sent out to collectand bring back old texts from other Christian traditions.This explains the presence of a large number of Armenianliturgical texts in Britain.

Armenian Institute NEWS 9

Review by Noemi Stepan-Sarkissian (9 years old)

The book Sadap was a great story, because it was full of adventure and fun. My favourite wasactually the main character, Sadap herself. She was very kind and clever. Vashivosh was verymean and he always wanted to steal things from people. The funniest characters were the foursmall people who first appeared from Sadap's bedroom wall through a wooden door. Amongstthe four little people I liked Professor Gaspar the best. He talked in a funny way and was proudof himself. The end was the best bit, when all of Sadap's family got together and they had nomore worries, because Vashivosh had started to be nice and Sadap had found the five goldenbuttons. But read on to find out how they got lost and where she found them.

I really loved this book and so I recommend it for young children. If I did not have this bookand had just seen its front cover, I would definitely want to read it because of the lovely but curious pictures. Ifyou read the first chapter you would instantly want to read more. And if I had not read it, I would want it for a birth-day or Christmas present.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Sadap: A fairytale that really happenedChildren and their families enjoyed an afternoon party on 13 May 2007 with author Nouneh Sarkissian as she intro-duced the charming and feisty character Sadap, the heroine of her new book. Nouneh spoke with the children abouthow she got her ideas for the book and then read an extract in Armenian. The book is being translated into English byMaral Ovanessoff who read another extract in English before the children began a hunt for the shiny button that Sadapneeded to find. Once shiny and other buttons were in hand, the young artists took scissors and pens to paper and cre-ated their own huge snowmen after one of the character in the book. Everyone was ready then to try out Sadap'sfavourite food, delicious gatah made by Nouneh, Karine Grigoryan and Nairi Stepan-Sarkissian, along with more ordi-nary snacks and drinks. Though we have had many opportunities to meet authors of adult books, this is the first chil-dren's book party at the Armenian Institute and we look forward to more.

Nouneh Sarkissian has been publishing stories and essays since childhood. While the translation of Sadap intoEnglish is in progress, Sarkissian is preparing several other books for publication in Armenian. The book has been dis-tributed to a number of schools and libraries and is on sale in Yerevan bookstores and through the Armenian Institutein London. Any profits from sales in Yerevan will be put towards a gift Sarkissian is planning for an orphanage there.Profits from those sold at the Armenian Institute are put towards the Children's Corner.

The Fragrance of God. Reflections on FindingGod through the Beauty and Glory of theNatural World by Vigen Guroian (Darton-Longman-Todd), 2007. 10 May, Armenian HouseVigen Guroian is best-known asan Orthodox theologian and pro-lific writer on ethics and religionas well as a range of subjectssuch as family and marriage,liturgy, and ecology. He is alsopassionate about gardening andin this new book, draws on his experiences of tending theearth to enrich his understanding of the nature of God andthe seasons of life. Prof. Guroian gave a short talk explain-ing the genesis of this book, following on from his earlierInheriting Paradise (2002). He then read passages whichdemonstrated his joyful exploration of the senses experi-enced in the process of gardening as well as a reliance onthese same pleasures for deeper insights into change andloss. The book launch was co-hosted by the publisher andthe Quiet Garden Society. Vigen Guroian is Professor ofTheology at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. (TheFragrance of God is available from the Armenian Institute.)

Countries South of the Caucasus in MedievalMaps: Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan byRouben Galichian (Printinfo Art Books & GomidasInstitute), 21 NovemberGalichian's second cartographic work discusses thegeography of countries south of the Caucasus mountains,as depicted in medieval cartography originating from LatinChristian, Byzantine, Islamic, Syriac and Armenian tradi-tions. During his richly illustrated presentation, Galichianfocused on external social, economic and politicalsources that over millennia have influenced the region. Inall medieval maps studied by Galichian, the territory ofArmenia is always shown south of Georgia andCaucasian Albania, extending south-westward to theArmenian Plateau. Georgia, as a country, emerged in thetwelfth century through the union of various principalitiesand first appeared in medieval maps a century later. Onthe other hand, the name 'Azerbaijan' was chosen for therepublic established in the territories that were once theancient and medieval land of Caucasian Albania only in1918. Until then and for two millennia before, only thenorth-western Iranian province was known by thattoponym. Galichian's presentation was followed by a live-ly question-and-answer session that continued through-out the reception afterwards. The book launch was organ-ised jointly with the Gomidas Institute.

Portraits of Hope. Armenians in theContemporary World. Edited by Huberta von Voss.Berghahn Books, 2007, 29 NovemberA lively presentation of Portraits of Hope engaged anappreciative crowd as editor and writer Huberta von Vosswas interviewed by Nouritza Matossian, one of the per-sonalities and writers included in the book. Readings

from the book gave a sense of the wide range of peopleand material covered. Von Voss has selected forty-oneArmenians, ranging widely in location, age and vocation,many of whom she herself has interviewed and describeshere. "Portraits" also includes a variety of texts con-tributed by other authors on a variety of subjects, giving abroad outline of Armenian history and a context for theindividual lives described. The introductory section isfocused primarily on aspects of the genocide with writerssuch as Vahakn Dadrian and Taner Akçam contributingchapters. The further sections include people working aswriters (for example, Matossian, Hrant Dink, ZoriBalayan), the arts (e.g. Sarkis Hamalbashian, AshotBayandur), film (Atom Egoyan) as well as broader cate-gories such as Faith, Commitment, Politics, and others. Afinal section on symbolic spaces extends the subjectscovered in interesting ways, including chapters by MarkGrigoryan on Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial inYerevan and Victor Kocher on Bourj Hammoud. Von Vossherself shows great generosity of spirit and a creativecuriosity in her pursuit of contemporary Armenian-ness.In her acknowledgements she mentions three CypriotArmenians, well-known to Londoners, to whom she isespecially grateful - Ruth Keshishian (MoufflonBookstore), Garo Keheyan (Pharos Trust) and NouritzaMatossian. The book concludes with very helpful sectionsof an outline of Armenian history, a glossary, and sugges-tions for further reading. (Book available through AI)

Children's Corner The installation of the new puppet stage has given shapeand inspiration to the Children's Corner. Built by wood-worker Nicky Stephens, son of author Taqui Altoonyan,the stage serves many purposes. A beautiful work itselfwith its simple lines bringing to mind traditional Armenianarchitecture, the stage can be used for glove, rod or shad-ow puppet performances. When not in use, the stagealso acts as a door through which one enters the Corner.This is welcomed by the children who love the way thismakes their space separate from the rest. The stage hasbeen designed to fold up so it can be transported else-where for performances for larger crowds. It remains tobe painted and we look forward to a work-day when vol-unteers will help to do this. Though the puppet stage isnow associated physically with the Children's Corner, wewill be looking for appropriate adult puppet shows as well(and ideally shows that are attractive to a mixed audi-ence). The magnificent show by Astghik Vardanyan dur-ing the Winter Festival is an example of this, with imagesand music that were enjoyed by all ages. We also hopethat it can also be used for bilingual plays to facilitate lan-guage learning and, of course, by the children themselvesto create their own plays.

We have received a wonderful donation of shadowpuppets from Ruth Keshishian, Moufflon Books, Cyprus.Of very fine quality, these puppets were collected duringher research into puppetry in Indonesia and Cyprus. Theyare a very welcome beginning to our collection of puppetsand we look forward to seeing how they will be used.Meanwhile, they will make a beautiful display.

Armenian Institute NEWS10

BOOK LAUNCHES

Armenian Institute Film ClubKhachaturian, 8 November, Kensington Central LibraryThis extraordinary film about one composer's life andmusic during the great Soviet experiment was voted thebest documentary at the Hollywood Film Festival andindeed was very well received by the audience thisevening. Directed by Peter Rosen, footage ofKhachaturian during the high and low points of his careerwas brought together in seamless storytelling. His familyand heritage, musical and other influences, compositions,all were set against the background of the changing poli-tics of culture in the Soviet Union. The mixture of highregard for artistry with underlying fear of loss of patronagewas brought out as the film gave the viewers entry evento shocking events such as the denunciation ofKhachaturian, Shostakovich and Prokofiev. The archivalfootage blended with interviews with colleagues and fam-ily provided new insights even for those very familiar withhis life and work. Karina Georgian and Levon Chilingirianprovided a very lively discussion afterwards. Winner ofFirst Prize and Gold Medal at the Third TchaikovskyInternational Competition in 1966, Karina worked and

toured with Khachaturian, taking turns with MstislavRostropovich to play his cello concerto.

CD LAUNCH

Sojourn at Ararat20 November at Arthur Probsthain, BooksellersIn 1986 Sojourn at Ararat was premiered at the EdinburghFestival Fringe to widespread acclaim. Created and orig-inally performed by Gerald Papasian and Nora Armani,Sojourn at Ararat is a two-character play that narrates onecouple's love story by weaving together excerpts fromArmenian poetry and prose. The play has recently beenrevived in Los Angeles and to coincide with this, an audioCD of the play was produced to mark its 20th anniversary.The London launch of the CD at the eminent booksellersArthur Probsthain in Great Russell Street was co-hostedby the Armenian Institute. Professor Eileen Barker ofLondon School of Economics introduced Nora Armaniwho then read selected extracts from Sojourn at Araratand answered questions about the original conception ofthe play and its recent revival. Copies of the CD are avail-able at Probsthain's.

Armenian Institute NEWS 11

CD Review | Louisa Culleton

A New PathJanapar (Path) - I am so happy to see that Sonya Varoujian hasreturned to her roots and produced a collection of songs inArmenian, using Armenian instruments, recorded in Armeniaand inspired by her journey to there as a volunteer with DAC(Diasporan Armenian Connection) in 2005. Janapar is dedicat-ed to the children of Marts village in the Lori region with whomthe DAC group were working while renovating the school.Sonya found that she was inspired by this experience as well asthe beauty of the landscape, and this led to a creative flood ofsong-writing.

Janapar is Sonya's fourth CD. Her background in musicstems from parents who enjoy singing and performing. Sonyaplays the guitar, sings, and composes her own music and lyricsin both Armenian and English. Her music is a celebration of life,love and homeland. She believes music is a gateway that allowspeople to share and experience truth and emotions that are normally left untapped. "Earthy" and ultimately folk musicin style and sound - modern but traditional - the instrumental background contributes to this sound, with traditionalinstruments such as the kanon, shvi and duduk combined with strings, wind and percussion. The melodies are simul-taneously catchy and soothing and the lyrics simple but deep and reflective. The CD has been compared to a fusionof Armenian folk with Celtic influences. Sonya grew up in the USA and England and was influenced by artists such asSarah McLaughlin and the Cranberries. Already influenced by her Armenian heritage, she was recently exposed to theart of Armen Movsisyan, Lilit Pipoyan, Vahan Artsruni and Ruben Hakhverdyan during her visit to Armenia. Sonya'sbackground and exposure to both Irish and Armenian culture comes across in her music. As well as the 12 talentedYerevan musicians that Sonya recorded with, she also collaborated with composer Narine Zarifyan who wrote arrange-ments for the songs. Armen Movsisyan edited the lyrics, poet Levon Blbulyan helped with the words for Hayrenik(Homeland) and Ruben Hakhverdyan wrote the first verse to Ser (Love).

Sonya has had successful performances in Yerevan, in 2006 at the Golden Guitar Festival, the Narekatsi ArtInstitute and the Avantgarde Folk Music Club. Heartfelt, whimsical and uplifting, this is a CD that should be part of every'Armenian' collection! A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of Janapar goes to villages, like Marts, in Armenia.CDs are available in the UK through the Armenian Institute and can also be purchased online. Further information, pho-tos, and concert dates, are available on www.myspace.com/sonyavaroujianmusic and www.sonyavaroujian.com.

Armenian Institute NEWS12

Donations to the Library In a previous issue of Armenian Institute News (Volume 3,Issue 2-4, 2005) we reported on an important donation ofseveral hundred valuable titles from the collection of thelate writer, translator and painter, Mischa Kudian. Sincethen we have received other generous gifts and ourrecent arrivals are listed below.

Love of books forced the late Gaspar Aghajanian torebuild a library each time he lost one through the vicissi-tudes of life in the Middle East in the 20th century. His lat-est collection was housed at his home in Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. After his death in August, his widowAstrid generously donated over one hundred titles on theMiddle East and Armenia.

The late Mkrtich (Mack) Chahin, the author of TheKingdom of Armenia and a lecturer on the ancient historyof the Near East at Bristol University had built up animportant collection of books on Armenia and adjoininglands. In March his widow, Mrs Margot Chahin very kind-ly offered to donate the entire collection. RoubenGalichian and Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian, the librarian,travelled to Somerset and having enjoyed Mrs Chahin'sgenerous hospitality, brought back the collection of books.

Shahe Guebenlian, a veteran journalist with Reuters anda devoted friend of the Armenian Institute, died in March2007, aged 86. His widow Iris generously donated manyof his books. Amongst this valuable collection there is arare dictionary of Armenian synonyms and two first edi-tions of Vahan Tekeyan's poetry.

Felix Corley, a freelance researcher on religion in theSoviet Union, has donated an important collection of

books, documents and publications of international organ-isations in Russian and English, dealing with theKarabakh issue and recent history of southern Caucasus.

Rouben Galichian, trustee of the Institute, in addition toseveral books, has donated a collection of rare vinylrecords of Armenian music to the library.

Anahit Kazarians, the former Headteacher of K TahtaArmenian Community Sunday School, donated severaldozen books dealing with Armenian studies, culture andliterature. Mostly recent publications, these books havecome to complement the existing collection.

Rev. Dr. Nerses V Nersessian, Curator of the ChristianMiddle East Section at the British Library, has donated animportant collection of valuable books on Armenianmusic, previously the property of the Institute of ArmenianMusic. Through Rev. Dr. Nersessian the ArmenianInstitute library has also received from the British Librarysurplus duplicate books treating various facets ofArmenian studies.

The following friends of the Armenian Institute have alsodonated books to the Library: Rev. Fr. ShnorkBaghdassarian (Armenian Vicarage), MaryBezhishkian (courtesy of Dr. Anoosh Simelofian Major),Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation, Inc.(Brookline, Massachusetts, USA), Joan George, A.Gorgodian, Gregory Krikorian, Stepan & RitaOvanessoff, Dr. Susan P Pattie & Levon Chilingirian,Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian, Armenag Topalian, Dr.Andreas Zoulikian.

The Armenian Institute is grateful to all donors who helpenrich the library collection.

Winter Festival & VernissageOur annual fair on 2 December in the Nevart Gulbenkian Hall was again a wonderful opportunity to share deliciousfood with friends and browse the craft and book stalls. Overflow crowds came throughout the afternoon, includingfamilies clustered by the children's tables where gifts were being created out of a variety of materials with TaniaTidanian and Anie Youshie's inspiration. Food was, as always, the main focus and lohmajoon was sold out withinthe first hour. This year we returned to our format of including special events and talks, most held in St SarkisChurch, next door. Levon Chilingirian spoke about the Armenian tradition of church music, Roubik Galichian pre-sented his latest book, Countries South of the Caucasus in Medieval Maps, and Nouritza Matossian read fromPortraits of Hope by Huberta von Voss. We went downstairs to the Armenian Institute library for "something com-pletely different" as the new puppet stage in the Children's Corner was inaugurated. Asghtik Vardanyan presentedThe Musician's House with magnificent shadow puppets, story and puppets her own creations. The library waspacked. We hope this will be repeated with other puppet shows in the near future.

Special thanks for the success of the day must go to Gigi Young, Tania Eghiayan, Tania Tidanian, Ani Youshieand the many volunteers who took care of all the work that goes into such a day. We are very grateful to the manypeople who brought home-made delicacies and to Jakobs Deli of Gloucester Road for their generous and deliciouscontributions to our food stall.

Armenian Institute NEWS 13

Let's Talk about the LivingAn Interview with Hrant DinkIn October 2005 writer Nouritza Matossian (pictired left)filmed a series of conversations with Hrant Dink (right). Hehad just been sentenced for 'insulting Turkishness' under theinfamous Article 301 for words taken out of context from anarticle urging diaspora Armenians to give up their hatred ofTurks. His six month sentence was suspended and he wasreceiving death threats. Later, in the aftermath of Dink's mur-der the interviews became a moving testament to the manand are now the basis of a film of these in-depth conversa-tions. Here we publish edited extracts.

Staying in the homeland

NM: What is it that ties you to this country?

HD: It is my country, it is the country of my grandparents; theroots are here. Why is the diaspora always looking backhere? The roots are here. Isn't it our grandparents' place?

You are in Istanbul. You are not living on your land.

Well, Istanbul was also ours - we have lived here for 15 cen-turies.

It was reported on the news that another church was justdestroyed in the city of Diarbekir, no?

Yes. They will destroy and we will rebuild. We must learn tounderstand each other. Just wait. In history, losing placesand regaining them is written with one sentence. In history,the passing of one century takes just one sentence. We don'tknow what we will live through. God. Oh, God. I am happy tolive in my country. I go to Van, I go to Kars, I go to Diarbekir;I go everywhere.

The pleasure I feel being here, speaking a language which Ionly spoke with my grandparents, is bitter. I know it is notours, that I am an unwanted guest here.

You are mistaken. You have lived here with people for cen-turies and they lived with you. When you say it is not ours,what is theirs is yours and what is yours is theirs. When youlive with them and hear Turkish you realise that you areArmenian. If I live here and five times a day I hear themuezzin at his prayers, then at least five times a day, I rec-ollect that I am Christian.

You mean it is dialectical.

It is very dialectical, very dialectical, very much so.

So it keeps you alert.

Very much. And you, in your reality abroad, in that luxuriousfreedom where assimilation is very high, do you live there inorder to lose your identity? Here, if you don't want to remainArmenian, the pressure of others forces you to be Armenian.If every day someone curses you, if every day someoneinsults you, how can you not remain an Armenian? Your heartwould burst. The pressure of others itself makes you remainArmenian. I don't say that the world should be this way.

The frontline

It is here. The frontline is here, and I want to be on the front-line. I thought it was hard to speak about the dead, but it was

harder to speak about the living in this country. To learn thetruth, you need scientific knowledge, you need freedom ofeducation. We must learn. These people have to learn. Afterlearning the truth they will use their own conscience.

Why did you say you would leave this country?

I said that because I was sentenced to six months' imprison-ment for insulting my fellow countrymen. A betrayal which forme is the worst of crimes in the world. It is racism. I don'taccept it. I never denigrate my fellow countrymen, nor do Iallow Armenians to insult them.

An Armenian unlike the others

My voice disturbed them. An Armenian appeared who wasnot like the Armenians they are used to, with his headbowed, but who lived in Turkey too and was serious. 'Yes,this is genocide.' But he says it in such a way that no one canobject to him. He influences people. They are not used to thiskind of thing. An Armenian who says, 'Come let's not just talkabout our own people, let's talk about the living'.

You have turned yourself into a mirror and made them seeeverything in that mirror.

Of course, of course! It is that simple. At the same time I ama very good Turkish citizen, a very good Turk. That's whatamazes them. We'll see. If my breath doesn't fail at the end.… After the trial an old man sent me an email, he was a

Muslim. 'My son, Ramadan has started and every day I go toprayers - five times. I also pray for you not to go away.' I wasso moved by his writing that I translated Psalm 23 intoTurkish and published it that week in my editorial. I was anaughty child and they used to make me learn psalms tostop me. I grew up but naughtiness did not leave me andnow my psalms have become a habit perhaps. I repeat them.

Do you say them aloud?

Yes, I say them aloud. I confess it to all my left-wing friends.The psalm says: I will prepare a table before you in front ofyour enemies. Your head will be anointed with oil. My cup isfull. Goodness and justice and mercy will flow all the days ofyour life. I will dwell many days in the house of the Lord - andmuch more. They give me strength, you know, the psalms. Iwant to find it and read it for you now. (He takes the Biblefrom the bookcase and reads out in Armenian. Closes thebook. Looks at camera.) Is it finished?

Yes, Hrant. The tape is finished.

Thank you. (Smiles) Then, shall we go?

Armenian Institute NEWS14

RELATIVE VALUES Round Trip to the SeaSUSAN PATTIE

This will be an occasional series exploring family ties indiaspora. Here we reprint an abridged version of an arti-cle first published in AIM, April 2002, which highlights theAghajanian family. Gaspar Aghajanian, one of the origi-nal Friends of AI, died in 2007 at the age of 96 and Astridhas moved to Belfast.

Shoreham Beach on the southern Englishcoast is a small, quiet cluster of bungalows. Itseems an unlikely place to find the man whowas the only Armenian judge in Palestineunder the British Mandate but GasparAghajanian and his wife, Astrid, have madetheir home there in a cottage near the sea.Few others, even in this land of consummategardeners, have chosen to battle against thepoor soil and sea spray of the shoreline butGaspar and Astrid have created a colourfuloasis of flower beds and a wide variety of fruittrees, herbs and vegetables.

There are other reminders of theAghajanians' past lives around the smallhouse, but not many. The last time theymoved, they left home with only a small suit-case. That was the third time Astrid hadbeen a refugee. With little money and nobelongings, they created a new home, bright and inviting,the living room enlivened by the many prints, paintings,and sculptures of the next generations, artist daughtersSophie and Edessia and their families. Astrid is a smalland graceful woman, her round eyes always curious andalert, about to ask a question. Born in Albestan, now inTurkey, she was originally named Helen Gaydzakian. Herfather died in 1915, but during the deportations, Astrid'smother managed to escape with her by hiding in a pile ofdead bodies, protecting the small child beneath her. Whensoldiers thrust their bayonets into corpses, the mother wasbadly wounded but remained silent until the horizon wasempty of living souls. She then walked, carrying herdaughter, until she came upon a Bedouin camp, and even-tually reached relatives in Aleppo.

When her mother later remarried, the new hus-band adopted Helen and gave her another name, AstridTopalian. The family moved to Palestine where she laterbecame a teacher in an Anglican elementary school inHaifa. Here she met and married Gaspar, whose ownfamily were kaghakatsi, one of the oldest establishedArmenian families in Jerusalem. Gaspar studiedevenings at the School of Law and qualified as a judgebut by 1948 the birth pangs of the new state of Israel hadreached a climax and fighting was all around them. TheChief of Police urged Gaspar to leave immediately.Stateless, the couple and their two small daughters wait-ed a year in Amman and then sailed to Cyprus from wherethey hoped to arrange for Gaspar to continue his educa-tion in law in England. This proved impossible but thanks

to Gaspar's fluency in six languages, he was hired by thenewly opened American Monitoring Station in Kyrenia andvery slowly they began to build their own home. Sophieand Edessia commuted to the English School in Nicosiaand in 1962, went to study art in England. In 1974, fol-lowing a Greek-led coup against President Makarios, theTurkish army sent troops and established the current divi-sion of the island. Kyrenia was lost and all non-Turkishresidents fled or were evacuated, leaving all property andbelongings behind.

Sitting in her parents' living room many yearslater, Sophie is reminded of an Armenian film she saw

recently. "A couple had lost everything," she begins, "butthey resettled and began to grow apple trees, just slowlyputting in the seed and tending it in the wind and stormsand actually protecting it until it grew. It was fromabsolute scratch." She turns to her parents, "Just as youhave done so many times. It's as though my parents havemade a little 'nation' here in Shoreham." Sophie and herhusband Jim had lived in the same cottage after meetingas students at nearby Brighton College of Art. Soon aftertheir daughter Neisha was born, Jim accepted a fellow-ship to set up the British Council printmaking workshop inhis native Belfast. Sophie was drawn back into printmak-ing and began building a reputation. Friends Marie andNobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney put her in con-tact with author-poet Peter Balakian whose poetry Sophielater selected to accompany her work in an exhibit thatcombined artists, poetry and music. Balakian has recipro-cated by choosing one of Sophie's prints for the cover ofhis latest book of poetry. Sophie is also included in theGreat Book of Ireland, a modern version of the Book ofKells. "It is not really about being Irish, but being part of acertain milieu in a certain place," she says. "The distinc-tions are blurred."

Her current series of paintings, prints, and pastelsare variations on reflections and refractions of light.Reviewers note the calm and serenity of the pieces butthere is also a tension and contrast between the richshadow and the delicate play of light. Neither her stylenor the images she produces are part of any identifiableschool or trend, something that pleases Sophie. Work is

Armenian Institute NEWS 15

done in a contemplative way, meaning "getting into amood and getting excited about it, putting it on paper orcanvas because you can't express it any other way. Artshould reflect one's own experience of life." This latter isan afterthought to an earlier discussion on what Armenianart might mean today. "It can't be about what you thinkArmenian art might be or ought to look like," she says. Atthe same time their daughter Neisha's art work some-times does contain obvious references to her Armenianancestry including a delightful combination of oldArmenian miniature style with a somewhat puzzled-look-ing portrait of her father as scribe. Today Neisha works in

mural painting, illustration and ceramics.Later, in her home in Gloucestershire, Edessia

took up the same thread, speaking about the very differ-ent backgrounds each generation in their family had andhow she sees her own growing-up period as encompass-ing a mixture of cultures. "At home, it was Armenia, butour parents also talked about Palestine because that wasin the very recent past. The neighbours were Greek andTurkish and we girls went to British schools. I always feltinsecure about this. I always knew I was Armenian butnever really met many Armenians in Kyrenia." When theirfather's work colleagues visited, themselves displacedArabs, Persians, and others, the girls would take biscuitsand drinks around to the guests and sit and listen to themtalk about Palestine, about history and injustice. This wasin stark contrast to the girls' own friendships and the sto-ries they were hearing about England and America. Thefreedom and pleasures of these magic places grew intheir imaginations until they went to study in London in1962. "What could have been a more drastic cultureshock than to go from Cyprus to an art school in Englandin the early 1960s?" laughs Edessia. Following art schoolEdessia worked as a theatrical prop maker and met herhusband, Renzo Rapaccioli, while working on a settogether. They have two children, Justine, now teachingEnglish in Italy and conducting a choir at St Mark's inVenice. Laurence composes and releases his own dancemusic for club deejays.

Since 1982 Edessia has been working with wood,carving both familiar and fantastic figures. Most of the

sculptures are kinetic and she also makes all the neces-sary mechanisms. In 1989 Edessia won a "grand slam"at the annual British toymaker Guild Show, receiving threeawards including Toymaker of the Year. Edessia says, "Ifeel the need to create pieces that express a state ofbeing in a playful manner. I almost have a reluctance todo something entirely serious - but there is always a darkside as well." By making objects that move, Edessiarequires input from the viewer who is really no longer aviewer but, in working the piece, actually participating in it."My life is like a mosaic," she continues. "There havebeen so many influences, things to take into account. Ifeel very close to the Middle East, Palestine, but also toArmenians, the eastern Mediterranean, to Cyprus. Weheard our mother's stories of massacres, of their losses inPalestine. But I was confident as a child and only laterrealized that confidence and insecurity were both there,doing battle inside."

When Astrid was small, she had a dress that wasa sort of mosaic, a patchwork of 45 pieces of cloth gath-ered by the Bedouins from the clothes of victims of theGenocide and sewn by her mother. She later inheritedher mother's wedding coat, sewn with golden threads onpurple velvet by her father, a master tailor. Both pieces ofclothing are lost now, with the other tangible pieces offamily history. Their memory, however, illustrates vividlythe many influences and experiences of the past, itsbeauty and its griefs.

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Our youngest Benefactor: Hovig Tchilingirian THANK YOU

Thank you to all who have supportedthe Armenian Institute again this year,Friends, Patrons and Benefactors.We are very grateful for your continuedencouragement and generosity. Our2007 Benefactors were: RichardAnooshian, Krikor Didonian, Panosand Diana Katsouris, John andChristina Kurkjian. ShaheGuebenlian, who died in 2007, has lefta generous bequest as well as valuablebooks to the Armenian Institute. Hisgenerosity is greatly appreciated, aswas his support and interest when hewas alive.

FRIENDS, PATRONS andBENEFACTORS of the ArmenianInstitute will receive a regularnewsletter about activities andevents, priority booking and a discount on entrance tickets(including one guest). In addition,your support will make it possibleto implement a wide range ofexciting activities for all ages.

We would like to thankHovig for generouslyaccepting his parents' ini-tiative of asking for dona-tions to AI in lieu of gifts tocelebrate his christeningon 28 December. Thus farover £1100 has been con-tributed, to be used foractivities of the Children'sCorner. Two years ago theArmenian Institute wasalso the recipient of hisparents Hratch andShakeh Tchilingirian'swedding in-lieu-of-giftsdonations.